Former first-round pick Nick Pratto hit free agency, one of 20 Royals farmhands to become a minor league free agent. Players can become free agents after six minor league seasons if they are not placed on the 40-man roster. Around baseball, 574 players became minor league free agents, free to sign a minor league or MLB contract with any team.
Pratto was the 14th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of high school, and showed promise after a 36-home run season in the minors in 2021. He made the big leagues the next year, hitting .184 with seven home runs in 49 games. He received an extended look in 2023, appearing in 95 games, but he hit just .232/.307/.353 with seven home runs and a 40 percent strikeout rate. He only appeared in one game with the Royals in 2024, and did not get called up at all in 2025, hitting just .196/.289/.331 in 114 games for Omaha. The 27-year-old has a career 81 OPS+ and -1.6 rWAR at the Major League level.
Sam Long was also on the list of minor league free agents after he was outrighted earlier this week and elected free agency. Long had a 3.16 ERA in 43 games with the Royals in 2024, even making some postseason appearances. But he was awful to start this season, and although he pitched better after a stint on the Injured List, he was let go after posting a 5.36 ERA for the year.
Other Royals that became minor league free agents:
Diego Castillo has appeared in 101 MLB games as an infielder with the Pirates, Diamondbacks, and Twins. He signed with the Royals after being released by the Mets, and hit .283/.369/.424 with six home runs in 54 games.
Bobby Dalbec signed with the Royals in August after being released by the Red Sox, with whom he hit 25 home runs with in 2021. He hit .252/.336/.512 with eight home runs in 32 games with Omaha.
Isan Díaz is a 29-year-old infielder who has appeared in 153 games in four MLB seasons with the Marlins, Giants, and Tigers. He signed with the Royals in July and hit .228/.336/.418 with 11 home runs in 55 games across Double-A and Triple-A.
John Gant is a 33-year-old pitcher with six years of big league experience and a career 3.89 ERA as a swingman. He was signed out of the Atlantic League this spring and had a 6.00 ERA in 19 starts for Omaha.
Jordan Groshans is a former top 100 prospect who received a cup of coffee with the Marlins in 2022, but has bounced around to the Yankees and Athletics before the Royals signed him last offseason. The 25-year-old infielder hit .291/.360/.368 in 59 games for Northwest Arkansas.
Geoff Hartlieb was signed in late August after short stints with the Yankees and Tigers. The 31-year-old right-hander has six years of MLB experience as a reliever with a 7.95 ERA.
Ryan Hendrix has two years of MLB experience with the Reds, but the 30-year-old has a 7.71 ERA in 30 relief appearances for Omaha.
Joey Krehbiel was acquired in a trade from the Rays in July for cash considerations, posting a 4.09 ERA in 20 games for Omaha. The 32-year-old has a 3.65 ERA in 70 MLB games over four seasons, but has not appeared in the big leagues since 2023.
Noah Murdock began the year with the Athletics as a Rule 5 draft pick, but was returned to the Royals after a 13.24 ERA in 14 games. The 27-year-old right-hander had a 6.00 ERA in 16 games for Omaha.
Steve Nogosek pitched 33 career games with the Mets, posting a 5.02 ERA. He joined the Royals organization in May after a stint in the Mexican League and had a 4.87 ERA in 41 games for Omaha.
Anderson Paulino appeared in just six games with Northwest Arkansas with a 12.96 ERA. The 27-year-old was originally signed by the Royals out of the Dominican Republic.
Nick Robertson was signed by the Royals in August after the Astros released him. He has appeared in 27 games with the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Blue Jays, and began this season in Toronto’s organization.
Julio E. Rodriguez is a catcher acquired from the Mariners in July after stints with the Cardinals and Tigers. He hit .243/.310/.316 in 40 games at Double-A.
Dionmy Salon is a catcher originally signed by the Royals out of Venezuela. The 23-year-old hit .218/.307/.257 in 39 games for Low-A Columbia.
Connor Scott is a 26-year-old outfielder who missed most of the season with injury, appearing in just eight games with the Naturals. The Royals signed him last offseason after he was let go by the Pirates.
Spencer Turnbull has 68 career starts in the big leagues with a 4.31 ERA, mostly with the Tigers, although he had a 1.3 rWAR season last year with the Phillies. The Blue Jays released the 33-year-old right-hander earlier this year, and the Royals signed him in August after a short stint in the Cubs organization.
Jacob Wallace was acquired in 2022 from the Red Sox in a trade for pitcher Wyatt Mills. The 27-year-old right-hander had a 4.46 ERA in 26 games for Omaha.
Marlin Willis is a 27-year-old who was drafted by the Royals out of high school in 2017. He had not pitched above High-A before this season, and he struggled with an 8.68 ERA in 13 games at Northwest Arkansas.
Among the other players to hit minor league free agency include cachers Max Stassi and Omar Narváez; infielders Nicky Lopez, Jack Lopez, Brandon Drury, Kevin Newman, Owen Miller, Luis Urías, José Miranda, Jeimer Candelario, Drew Ellis, Jon Singleton, and Joey Meneses; outfielders Nelson Velázquez, Eloy Jiménez, Ben Gamel, Tyler Naquin, Billy Hamilton, and Brewer Hicklen; and pitchers John Brebbia, Ryne Thompson, Austin Gomber, Joe Ross, Dakota Hudson, Michael Grove, Giovanny Gallegos, Mat Manning, Zach Plesac, Anthony Venezian, Tyler Matzek, Michael Mariot, Aaron Brooks, Nick Anderson, Jesse Hahn, Collin Snider, Michael Fulmer, Cal Quantrill, Kenta Maeda, and Elieser Hernández.
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